1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle alarms and more particularly pertains to a vehicle disabling system for connecting to a vehicle ignition system to disable the associated vehicle after a pre-determined length of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vehicle alarms is known in the prior art. More specifically, vehicle alarms heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of disabling a vehicle are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, an ignition disabling anti-theft device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,670 in which circuit switching devices are used to disable the ignition system of a vehicle every time the vehicle engine is shut off. The ignition system can be enabled only by the application of battery voltage from a pre-existing vehicle electrical circuit through a secret switch.
An automotive alarm is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,888 wherein an ignition cutoff and audible alarm is sounded after a predetermined delay. The alarm apparatus includes a plurality of switches comprising a pressure foot treadle switch and a bypass switch which is positioned discretely within the automobile's interior for actuation of the apparatus.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,810 which discloses an anti-theft device for an automobile such that when a door of the automobile is opened, a opened-door detection switch operates and a first control means stores in its memory the switch's action and cuts off an engine's start-up circuit. The engine can only be restatted when a registered password is entered into the device through a password inputing means.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a vehicle disabling system for disabling an associated vehicle after a pre-determined length of time following an actuation of the system in which a timer actuates a relay that closes a switch to cause a current surge through a vehicle ignition system power supplying fuse, thereby blowing the fuse and interrupting a supply of power to the vehicle ignition system. Furthermore, none of the known prior art vehicle alarms teach or suggest a timed vehicle disabling system having the aforementioned features and further including a key-contained fuse holder for containing the fuse within the ignition key of vehicle.
In these respects, the timed vehicle disabling system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of disabling an associated vehicle after a pre-determined length of time following an actuation of the system by a user.